Lackluster Buatsi Defeats Parker in Manchester

British light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi earned a win yet disappointing beginning to life under fresh promotional backing with a unanimous decision over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.

The Olympic bronze medallist's work rate appeared to earn him a split decision in a competitive ten-round contest at the Manchester venue.

But the challenger had his moments, connecting with powerful individual punches in a contest where the techniques failed to mesh, with frequent clinching disrupting the contest.

Two judges judged it 96-94 to Buatsi, with the final judge a 95-95 draw.

"It wasn't my finest performance but what defines champions? They win," the victor said in the arena as he was greeted with negative reactions from the spectators.

The Londoner bounced back after his maiden career setback - an thrilling contest with Callum Smith in February - to secure a 20th pro success.

Some ringside observers thought the challenger, thirty-one, should have been awarded the victory but the contender experienced the second defeat of his 28-match career.

The Champion Secures Victory in Dull Match

The fighter's advancement has stalled in recent years through management issues and considerable time of lack of fights.

Once tipped as the rising talent of British boxing, he now finds himself trying to achieve expectations - maybe in what appears to be a ultimate opportunity - under recent support.

He began cautiously, with both competitors prepared to overcommit in a calculated opening few rounds.

The challenger, whose sole prior loss came at super middleweight against his former opponent in two years ago after damaging his hand in the contest, was competing in only his second appearance at light heavyweight.

By the halfway stage, the underdog had stayed in contention, creating difficulties for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to edge the better stanzas.

The spectators' acceptance diminished because of regular grabbing, with the challenger falling to the floor various instances during grappling.

The underdog ended stronger, but multiple periods were hard to judge. However, previous titleholder Carl Frampton - commentating on the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for the challenger, awarding Buatsi just a single round.

The victor advances, but with the presence of power puncher Benavidez, and Russian star Dmitry Bivol dominating the weight class, the path to championship success - on this evidence - still looks steep.

Ricky Hatton Memorial Motivates Local Rivalry Fight

In the secondary fight, Lyndon Arthur beat Rea by close verdict in a terrific Manchester vs Manchester battle to secure the European light-heavyweight belt.

The stadium grew hushed for a deeply poignant tribute ahead of the contest as 10 bells tolled in memory of local hero Hatton, who succumbed 46 years old in recently.

It was the first major televised fight night in the city since the passing of Hatton. As the concluding sound faded, the silence transitioned to a shout of "there's only one Hatton".

The competition inside the ropes matched the emotion. The eventual winner was floored by a powerful punch squarely on the chin in the second round, getting up unsteadily to his footing on the referee's count.

But the Manchester United-red equipment of the fighter soon pressed ahead again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was marked up soon, significant bruising developing under his orbital area as the fighters traded punishing blows.

Rea, twenty-seven, delivered effective strikes but Arthur, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over twelve rounds.

Arthur barely secured the verdict with official scores of even score, narrow lead and 115-112, but both fighters were determined and full of heart, exactly what their hero the legend stood for.